Printing press



Nov. 26, 1929. w M KELLY 1,737,502

PRINTING PRESS Filed Deo. 1o, 192s V5 sheets-sheet 1 Nov. 26, 1929. w. M. KELLY 1,737,502

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Nov. 26, 1929.' w. M. KELLY 1,737,502

PRINTING PRESS Filed Deo. 1o. .1926 5 sheets-sheet 5 Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM M.` KELLY, OF WESTFIELD', NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN TYPE FOUNDERS COMPANY, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY PRINTING PRESS Application filled December 10, 1926.

The present invention relates to printing presses of the bed and cylinder type and more particularly to devices for equalizing the surface speed of the cylinder and bed when the impression is on.

Although not limited thereto, the invention is illustrated and described as embodied iii a two-revolution press, that is, a press wherein the cylinder makes two revolutions for each complete reciprocation of the bed,

the cylinder not reversing but continually rotating in one direction. When the'cylinder is in contact with the form on the bed, that is, during impression, is'essential that the peripheral or surface velocity of the cylinder be identical with the rectilinear velocity of the bed. During the remainder of the cycle of the cylinder its surface speed may be anything to complete the required `two revolutions thereof While the bed is making a coinplete reciprocation. W'here the velocity of the bed continually changes, as occurs when the bed is reciprocated by a crank mechaiiism, it is necessary to vary the speed of the cylinder to accord with the velocity o f the bed during impression. Various cylinder driving mechanisms have been employed for this purpose. In one type the cylinder is driven directly by the bed during impression and at other times is disconnected therefrom and connected to a gear rotating with a uniform angular velocity. In another type the cylinder is driven at all times from a uniformly rotatiiig shaft, and the variations of surface speed are effected by eccentric or noncircular gears alone or in combination With a planetary gear. Both of these types of mechanisms have obvious mechanical and operating defects. The clutching .of the cylinder to a bed and then to a uniformly rotating gear atV each cycle, places great strains on the mechanism, causing rapid Wear and making it impractical to operate the press at a high speed. The use of eccentricgears to effect the required velocity changes is mechanically unsatisfactory, and furthermore, it is difficult, if not impossible by such means, to effect an absolutely accurate equaliand the velocity of the bed.

Serial N0. 153,991.

In another form of mechanism, the driving gear is loosely mounted on an eccentric bearing and is rotated with varyingvelocities by means of a crank the outer end of which has a roller disposed ina curved guide attached to the gear. This device has not met with any practical success. n

The principal aim of the present invention isto'provide in combination with means for reciprocating, at a non-uniform velocity, the bed of a press, of a cylinder driving mechanism of maximum mechanical and operating efficiency which Will effect an absolutely accurate registration of the sheet on the cylin-l derwith the form on the bed and which Will enable the press to be run at the highest posi sible speed smoothly and without undue strain.

To this end, the cylinder driving mechanism of the present invention comprises a train of gearing connecting a uniformly rotating shaft and a cylinder gear wheel, all the gears of the train being circular, constantly in fullmesh and producing a uniform rotaton of the cylinder when the positions of the gears are unaffected. The pitch circles of all of the gears are circular and always in rolling contact. In order to effect the required changes of the surface speed of the cylinder to correspond with that of the bed during impression, compensating mechanism is provided which comprises a member of the gear train mounted for bodily or planetary movement WhileA at all times maintaining full driving engagement (the pitch circles are always in contact) Withits circular co-acting drivingand driven gears, .the bodily movement of said gear producing an increase or reduction in the speed of the cylinder gear accordingly as said planet gear is moved in one direction or the other. Preferably the bodily movement of the planet gear is controlled by a cam, whereby the required variations vin velocityof the cylinder are effected With great accuracy and smoothness, so that absolute equalization of the surface speed of the cylinder and of the be-d is obtained` and the press can be run at a very high speed'without undue strain or Wear.

Other objects and features of novelty will be apparent from the description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation taken substantially on the line 2-20f Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view taken substanti ally on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

' Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken through the axis of the bed operating gear;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation through one end of the cylinder, illustrating the driving connection between the cylinder gear and its shaft;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic elevational View of a modified form of cylinder 'driving mechanism and f Fig. 7 isa plan view of the construction shown in 6 The invention is applicable to presses of varying constructions and with many different mechanisms` for reciprocating the bed. Inthe embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the numeral 1() indicates ther main frame of the press. This frame comprises a rectangular housing formed with suitable openings in its walls to decrease the weight thereof and to give access to parts within the frame. It also provides a support for various bearings.

i For strengthening the housing and providing suitable supports for the mechanism, there is provided a central transverse web 10a connected on one side to an end wall of the housing by a central longitudinal member-10b and connected on the other side to the opposite lend wall by alongitudinal web 10c which housing (Fig.

The impression cylinder A, the inking mechanism B, the delivery table C, and other parts of the press not shown, are supported on longitudinal housing members 11 bolted onto the top. side flanges of housing 10. The bed is offset from the central vertical plane of the .l D is supported `on rollers 12 which are reciprocable in H-shaped tracks 13 supported on the tops of the. end walls of housing 10 and on seats 14 on the central transverse web 10a. Each of the two sets of rollers is mounted in a cage comprising a pair of longitudinal bars The press is driven by a motor 16 (Fig. 1) supported inside the housing 10,which rotates a transverse shaft 17 byimeans of a'belt i 18 passing over a pulley 19 rigid with the motor armature and over a lrelatively large 4pnlley 20 keyed on shaft 17. Shaft 17 is journaied at its ends in AbushingsQl and 22 inthe sides of the housing and in an intermediate bearing 23 in the longitudinal web 10c (Fig. 2). Secured on shaft 17 is a pinion 24 which drives a gear 25 on a shaft 26 journaled in a Ybearing in the sid-e of the housing and in a bearing in web 10C. side the housing and carries a hand wheel H Shaft 26'projects outi for manual operation of the press. The other end of shaft 26 projects between web member 10c and the side of the housing, and carries on this end a pinion 27 (Fig. 1). Pinion 27 meshes with a gear'31 keyed on a shaft 32 which is journaled in web 1()C and in the side of the housing. Shaft 32 projects inwardly from web l()C and carries a crank 33 connected by a link 34to a travelingVv gear 35"(Fig. 3). As shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, gear is mounted on a shaft 36 and the bifu'rcated end of link 34 embraces the hub of gear 35. Also mounted on shaft 36 is a pair of ianged wheels 37, the outer sides of which are engaged by collars 38 pinned on the shaft, whereby the ent-ire assembly is held from lateral movement. Gear meshes at its upper sid-e with a rack 39 fixed centrally on the underside of the bed and at its lower side with a stationary rack 40 bolted on frame member 10b. YWheels 3.7 roll on tracks 41 supported at the sides ofrack 40. An arm 42 is mounted on each end of shaft 36 and-the ends of these two arms are bolted to the outer bars 15 of the roller cages.

The bed D is reciprocated by the above described mechanism with a resultant movement compounded of the translation velocity of gear and the rotary movement of said gear due to its engagement with stationary rack 40, the velocity of the bed therefore being exactly twice the translation velocity of the gear. The velocity of the bed of course will vary from a-minimum when the crank is on dead center, at which instant' the velocity isz-ero, to a maximum when the crank is about V90'? from dead center. Due to the connection of the roller cages with shaft 36 through arms 42,l the rollers are translated with the shaft, so that their peripheral surfaces move with exactly the same velocity as that of the bed, whereby friction is reduced to a minimum.

The cylinder A is rotated at all times during the operation of' the'press in one direction vby mechanism which will now be described. Mounted in a bearing 43 in the housingis a sleeve 44 and rotatable therein is a shaft 45 which projects at both ends from the sleeve. vThe inner end of shaft 45 is supported in a bracket 46 bolted to the roller vpinion 50 ofthe same size as pinion 49'. In-

tegral with sleeve 44 is an arm 51, andjournaled in a bearing in the end of said arm is a gear 52 which meshes with gear 50 and with Ytheinternal gear teeth 53 of wheel 47. Fixed 'on the inner end of sleeve 44 is an arm 54 formed with a gear segment 55 which meshes with a gear segment 56 on the end of an arm 57 pivoted at 58 to the side of the housing. Arm' 57 has a roller 59 engaging a cam groove 6() formed in the outer face of gear 31.

The driving connection between gear 48 and the cylinder A is illustrated in Fig. 5. The cylinder shaft 62 is rotatable at each end in an eccentric bushing 63, journaled in the longitudinal housing member 1l, these bushings being operated periodically by mechanism not shown herein for throwing the impression on and off. Gear 48 is rotatable on a bearing 64 bolted to the outside of housing 1l. The cylinder shaft 62 is formed with a reduced end 621which projects through a bore in bearing 64 with sufficient clearance to permit operation of the cylinder to impression on and off positions. Pinned on the end of reduced portion 62 is a disk `65 formed with a radial slot 66 in which works a block 67 secured to a pin 68 carried by gear wheel 48. This connection between the cylinder shaft and gear 48 permits a fixed position of the axis of gear' 48 and a varying position of the axis of the cylinder, while maintaining the driving connect-ion between the gear and cylinder. Thus gear 48 is at all times in full mesh with gear 47. v

The average peripheral velocity of the cylinder is considerably greater than the averagevelocity of the bed, the cylinder having to make two complete revolutions while the bed is making one complete reciprocation. It is essential that the peripheral velocity of the cylinder be exactly equal to the velocity of the bed while the impression is on, so that there may be no slippage of the sheet being printed with respect to the form. The mechanism above .described functions to effect this result with absolute accuracy and with great smoothness.

vThe direction of rotation of the cylinder isr clockwise, looking at Fig. l. The crank 33 is at dead center and the bed D is on the point of beginning its movement towards the left. A sheet has been taken by the cylinder and being carried around thereby towards the bed and the cylinder is being driven by the gear train 3l, 49, 50, 52, 53, 47 and 4S. "When the bed has moved to the left a short distance from the position shown, the register teeth on the cylinder begin to enter the register rack on the bed, and the impression is thrown on. Just prior to this time the cam G0 begins to move the roller on arm 57 further from the axis of shaft 32, so that arm 57 moves in a counter-clockwise direction (Fig. l), operating arms`54 and 5l in a clockwise direction. Gear. 52 carried by arm 5l is moved bodily about the axis of gear 47 in a clockwise direction (Fig. l), and due to its engagement with gear and with the in* ternal gear 53, it will turn the wheel 47 in a clockwise direction. The resultant angular velocity of wheel 47, therefore. will be compounded of that produced by the gear train above referred to and that produce-d by the bodily movement of gear 52. As the latter is opposite iny direction to that of the former, it follows that t-he angular velocity of gear 47 and of the impression cylinder will be reduced from the value it would have if this compensating mechanism `were not provided. The cam is so shaped that this reduction is of such value as to exactly equalize the peripheral speed of the cylinder with the varying speed of the bed during the entire `time the impression is on.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated the impression is on during` about a quarter of a revolution of the crank 33 and gear 3l, that is to say, the impression is on from shortly after the bed begins to move toward the left, as viewed in Fig. l, and until the .bed has nearly reached its maximum velocity and begins to slow down for the latter portion of the reciprocation toward the left. After the impression has been thrown off, the rotation of the cylinder may be as de-r sired, and so the cam for this portion vof the cycle is shaped with the object of giving the smoothest action. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated, if the cylinder gear train were unaffected or unmodified, the cylinder would have the same surface speed as the bed only duringthe middle part of the reciprocation of the bed. So fromthe beginning of the impression up to the time when the bed reachesabout the middle part of its reciprocation, the action of the gear train must be modified so as to reduce the speed of rotation that the gear train would ynormally give the cylinder. This is done by swinging the arm 57 counterclockwise, as viewed in Fig. l, to thereby move the planet gear 52 in the direction to reduce the angular velocity of the cylinder.` When the roller 59 on arm 57 reaches the high point M of the cam, the impression is thrown off and the balance of the cam may be shaped as desired. Obviously the cam may be shaped to produce any desired extent of synchronism between the cylinder and bed; for instance, if it were desired to continue the impression for a longer portion of the reciprocation of the bed, then after the bed reaches its middle point, as its velocity is decreased it wouldfbe necessary also to decrease the velocity of the cylinder. In this ease, therefore,the cam surface succeeding the high point M` would be carried further in toward the axis of the cam than as shown in Fig. l. Of course the `balance of the cam would be shaped to giveV form velocity and movable axially to effectv the necessary variation of cylinder velocity. In this modiiication the gears 25, 27 and' 3l are mounted and operated in the same manneras described above. Also the bed D. is

operated by the traveling gear '35 con- -and 7 3. A bevel gear 74 is secured to the end of shaft 7l. and meshes with. a gear 7 5 on a shaft 7 6 to which is fixed a gear-77. driven from. gear 25 through an intermediate gear 77. Worm 70 has rigid therewith a grooved collar 7,8 engaged by the forked end of anarm 79. kArm 79.` is suitably pivoted at 8O and is integral with an arm 54 having a gear segment 55- in mesh with the gearsegments 5 6 of arm 5.7. It will be understood that the axial movementofworm 70, effected bythe operation of cam on arm 57, will decelerate or accelerate the velocityof the cylinderaccording as the worin is moved towards the right or towards the left, looking at Fig. 6.

Although two forms of the invention have been illust-rated, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, but includes all modifications and changes which come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters; Patent is:

1. In a bed and cylinder press,.means for reciprocating the bed in combination with means for rotating the cylinder in one direction, said. cylinder rotating means comprising a train of circulargears including a driving gear operating at uniform angular velocity and a driven gear bodily movable and having its pitch circle circular and always in contact with the circular pitch circle of ksaid diving gear, Aand means for effecting bodily movement of, said driven gear to equalize the peripheral velocity of the cylinder with the velocity of the bed while the impression is on.

2.In a bed and cylinder press, means for reciprocatingthe bed in combination with means for'rotating the cylinder in one direction, said cylinder. rotating means comprising: a train of circular gears having circular pitch circles always inl contact including a driving gear havinga uniform angular velocity and compensating kmechanism between the driving gear and the cylinder for equalizing the peripheral velocity of the cylinder with the velocity of' the bed when the impression is on.

3. In a bed and cylinder press, means for reciprocating the bed in combination with meansfor rotating the cylinder in one direction, said cylinder rotating means comprisilng a train of'circularI gears including a driving gear having` a uniformangular velocity and a driven gear bodily movable and having its pitch circle circular and alwaysin contact with the circular pitch circle of said driving gear, and' a caln governing the bodily movements of said driven gearso as', to equalize the peripheral velocity of' the cylinder with the velocity of the bed while the impression is on.

el. In. a bed and cylinder press, means for reciprocatingv the bed in combination with means for continuously rotating the cylinder in one direction with varying velocities, said cylinder rotating means including a gear wheel having internal and external teeth, a driven gear meshing with said external teeth, a pinion coaxial with said gear wheel operating at uniform velocity and an intermediate gear meshing` with said pinion and said internal teeth, said intermediate gear being mounted for bodily movement about the axis of said gear wheel and pinion, and means for effecting bodily movements of said intermediate gear to vary the velocity of the cylinder.

' 5.. In a bed and cylinder press, means for reciprocating the bed in combination with means for continuously rotating the cylinder in one direction, said cylinder rotating means includinga gear wheel having internal and external teeth, a driven gear meshing with said external teeth, a pinion coaxial with said gear wheel operating at uniform velocity, and an intermediate gear meshing with said pinion and with said internal teeth, the intermediate gear being mounted for bodily movement about the axis of said gear wheel and pinion, and a cam for effecting bodily movements of' said intermediate gear to vary the velocity of the cylinder.

6. In a bed and cylinder press, means for reciprocating the bed in combination with means for continuously rotating the cylinder in one direction with varying velocities, said cylinder rotating means including planetary gearing driven from a shaft of the press operating at uniform velocity, all thegears being circular and having circular pitch circles always in contact, and means for actuating said' planetary gearing to vary the velocity of the cylinder.

7. In a bed and cylinder press, means for reciprocating the bed in combination with means for rotating the cylinder continuously in one direction withy vary-ing velocities, said cylinder rotating means including a gear wheel mounted on a fixed bearing adjacent the end of the cylinder, a shaft operating at constant speed and gearing connecting said shaft and said gear wheel, said gearing including compensating mechanism for varying the velocity of the cylinder as required, and a cam controlling said compensating mecha nism, all the gears being circular and having circular pitch circles in contact.

8. In a bed and cylinder' press, means for reciprocating the bed in combination With means for rotating the cylinder continuously in one direction with varying velocities, said cylinder rotating means including a gear Wheel mounted on a fixed bearing adjacent one end of the cylinder, a shaft operating at constant speed and a gear train between said shaft and said gear Wheel includingr a planetary gear, and a cam for effecting bodily movements of said planetary gear to vary the velocity of the cylinder as required, all the gears being circular and having circular pitch circles in contact.

9. In a bed and cylinder press, means for reciprocating the bed in combination with means for continuously rotating the cylinder in one direction with varying velocities, said cylinder rotating means comprising a planetary gear and a pair of circular gears meshing therewith, said gears having circular pitch circles always in contact, and means for effecting bodily movements of said planetary gear to vary the velocity of the cylinder as required.

l0. In a bed and cylinder press, means for reciprocating the bed in combination With means for continuously rotating the cylinder in one direction at varying velocities, said cylinder rotating means comprisingan epicy: clic train of circular gears driven from a shaft of the press operating at uniform velocity, and a cam for actuating the bodily movable member of said train to vary the velocity of the cylinder as required, all of the gearsy in the train having circular pitch circles and being in contact.

11. In a bed and cylinder press, a bed, sliders supporting said bed for reciprocation, means to reciprocate said bed comprising a rack on the underside of the bed, a parallel fixed rack, a gear meshing with said racks, a shaft on which said gear is rotatably mounted, means to reciprocate said shaft, and means to reciprocate said sliders With said shaft comprising a rigid member' in which said sliders and shaft are journaled, whereby the spaced relation of the axes of the sliders and shaft is maintained constant throughout the cycle of movement.

12. In a bed and cylinder press, a shaft, and means for reciprocating the bed and rotating the cylinder from said shaft, said means including an intermediate shaft, a train of gears for said shafts and the impression cylinder, a planetary pinion moveable about the axis of said intermediate shaft, and means for giving planetary movement to said planetary pinion.

13. In a bed and cylinder printing press, in combination, an impression cylinder having a gear associated therewith, a reciprocating bed, means to reciprocate the bed and drive said gear comprising gearing including a shaft with a gear thereon, a pinion be-y tween the shaft gear and the cylinder gear, a lever pivoted on said shaft and carrying said pinion, and means to oscillate saidlever once for each cycle of the press.

14. The combination recited in claim 13 wherein the lever oscillating means comprises a segment on the lever, a second segment meshing therewith, and a cam for actuating said second segment.

l5. In a bed and cylinder printing press, in combination, a reciprocating bed, a cylinder, means to reciprocate the bed, means to rotate the cylinder in one direction including a driving gear operating at a uniform angular velocity,a train of gears connecting said driving gear and cylinder, one of said train of gears having internal teeth and another being bodily movable and meshing therewith, and means to oscillate said bodily movable gear to equalize the peripheral velocity of the cylinder and the velocity of the bed While the impression is on.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aliiX my signature.

WILLIAM M. KELLY.

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